"Maidens in Full Bloom" by Denise Tallon Havlan of Palos Hills, Illinois. She says that this is "... one quilt in a continuing series of quilts celebrating the Native American." You can't see it well in this photo unfortunately, but the quilting work on this is *definately* one instance of where the quilting really makes the quilt, not that the graphic nature of the piece is slacking, because obbviously it is not.
I love that a non-traditional piece won. :)
Anyway, I will try to play with this in photoshop so I can get you a detail shot of the quilting work. Also, now that my husband is no longer keeping these images hostage on his hidden hardcard, I am going to TRY to show you one a day, ok? I apologize in advance for those images I guess at the artist of because I chopped out the ID numbers with my digital camera. Said camera is now in the shop as my karmic payment for such said error-of-ways. Mea Culpa. I will do the best I can to give correct attributions of work, and will happily take corrections, ok?
7.14.2006
7.02.2006
Vermont Quilt Festival 2006
This year was the 30th Anniversary of the Quilt Festival, and they ran a special exhibit to celebrate it - "Historymakers" - it showcased championship quilts from the last 30 years! They also had their usual contest quilts, and those made by kids and by their judges and teachers.
Honestly, I wasn't feeling very well, so I buzzed through the quilts with my 8 megapixel camera and took photos to be studied at length later. Not so good for me, but great for you, eh? I'll get them uploaded and annotated over this coming week so I can post them here.
Shopping can only happen in person though, so I *did!* Mostly gadgets, but also some real indigo fabric (I love the smell!), some fabric from Lunn with the ASL alphabet on it, and, finally, "Color by Design" and "Color by Accident" both by Ann Johnston. If I'd been smart (and frugal!) I would have read the supplies lists while I was at the ProChem booth, and would have gotten what I needed there. Now I'll have to pick stuff up locally or have it shipped, both of which will mean waiting and more money! Rats!
In other news, my girls are growing leaps and bounds, so friends are handing over more and more handmedowns for them, including dozens of *plain white onesies.* Sigh - a fabric painters HEAVEN! I am also placing an order with Dharma for some cute little outfits for the girls, so I ought to be well set for 'canvases' for a while! And I'll have lots of time to work too, since my teaching gig gfot kaboshed -again - for lack of students. Not that plenty of kids aren't still failing biology, but that fewer parents have the money or clout or sense of responsibility to send their kids to summer school. The upshot for me? Less money, but more time - perfect for playing with paint in the sun in between diaper changes!
Honestly, I wasn't feeling very well, so I buzzed through the quilts with my 8 megapixel camera and took photos to be studied at length later. Not so good for me, but great for you, eh? I'll get them uploaded and annotated over this coming week so I can post them here.
Shopping can only happen in person though, so I *did!* Mostly gadgets, but also some real indigo fabric (I love the smell!), some fabric from Lunn with the ASL alphabet on it, and, finally, "Color by Design" and "Color by Accident" both by Ann Johnston. If I'd been smart (and frugal!) I would have read the supplies lists while I was at the ProChem booth, and would have gotten what I needed there. Now I'll have to pick stuff up locally or have it shipped, both of which will mean waiting and more money! Rats!
In other news, my girls are growing leaps and bounds, so friends are handing over more and more handmedowns for them, including dozens of *plain white onesies.* Sigh - a fabric painters HEAVEN! I am also placing an order with Dharma for some cute little outfits for the girls, so I ought to be well set for 'canvases' for a while! And I'll have lots of time to work too, since my teaching gig gfot kaboshed -again - for lack of students. Not that plenty of kids aren't still failing biology, but that fewer parents have the money or clout or sense of responsibility to send their kids to summer school. The upshot for me? Less money, but more time - perfect for playing with paint in the sun in between diaper changes!
6.10.2006
Scraps!
I need to know:
What the heck does everyone do with their SCRAPS?!?!?!
I am far too thrify a girl to just throw them away, and so I horde them. I have both a drawer and a special rice basket full of them, and I even sort them into different color groups and give them their own ziplock bags.
But what do I DO with them? I rarely (but sometimes) dig in them to find just the piece I want, and sometimes I actually DO use bits of a fabric that I don't want to cut up muy larger chunks for, but not much more than that - my stash of scraps is growing.
Crazy quilting would be a natural, but is just not for me. Pieces are mostly calicoes, 1" x 2" and up. Suggestions or offers to take them off my hands welcome.
Thought for the day, to be perused while I keep purging the studio: what can I do with CHALK?
What the heck does everyone do with their SCRAPS?!?!?!
I am far too thrify a girl to just throw them away, and so I horde them. I have both a drawer and a special rice basket full of them, and I even sort them into different color groups and give them their own ziplock bags.
But what do I DO with them? I rarely (but sometimes) dig in them to find just the piece I want, and sometimes I actually DO use bits of a fabric that I don't want to cut up muy larger chunks for, but not much more than that - my stash of scraps is growing.
Crazy quilting would be a natural, but is just not for me. Pieces are mostly calicoes, 1" x 2" and up. Suggestions or offers to take them off my hands welcome.
Thought for the day, to be perused while I keep purging the studio: what can I do with CHALK?
6.09.2006
Partners in Clean - I need YOU!
I have used my studio as a refuge - for my sanity and my junk - during my pregnancy, and now it REALLY needs a good cleanout. I've done quite a bit already, but you would never know it to look at it. So... I'll take a picture now, and then post it and a new shot when you can actually see progress. Please don't let me off the hook on this, ladies - I need my studio too much right now to let this slide.
BTW - both of my girls have smiled at me for the first time in the last two days. They are growing so fast! I need to order some blank clothes from Dharma Trading to paint/stamp/print/dye up for a summer of growth for all of us!!!
BTW - both of my girls have smiled at me for the first time in the last two days. They are growing so fast! I need to order some blank clothes from Dharma Trading to paint/stamp/print/dye up for a summer of growth for all of us!!!
6.08.2006
Dana Cordelia
Dana's nickname is Monkey, and boy o boy, has she earned it. It started out because she looked like a baby monkey when she was born and made really cute monkey noises, but now it is because she is full of mischief (don't let those baby blues fool you!)
She is an UBER drama queen, and makes a ruckus over darned near anything. A little smaller than her sister, she eats like a horse, trying to catch up. BTW - that is breast milk in the bottle - neither girl nurses very well, and we just haven't had the energy to work on it, so I am still pumping breast milk for them to take in bottles. At least this way Dad Kevin can feed them (like in the picture) and I can *sleep*!
Dana has a toy hippo, lots of dark hair, and a mighty fine set of lungs. Don't ask me how I know.... just trust me and everyone who lives within a 3-mile radius of our house.
She is an UBER drama queen, and makes a ruckus over darned near anything. A little smaller than her sister, she eats like a horse, trying to catch up. BTW - that is breast milk in the bottle - neither girl nurses very well, and we just haven't had the energy to work on it, so I am still pumping breast milk for them to take in bottles. At least this way Dad Kevin can feed them (like in the picture) and I can *sleep*!
Dana has a toy hippo, lots of dark hair, and a mighty fine set of lungs. Don't ask me how I know.... just trust me and everyone who lives within a 3-mile radius of our house.
Rowyn Eliza
This is one of our pair of much favored Pooh Suits. We .LIKE Pooh Suits, but we do NOT like Poo Pants. Understand?
Rowyn's nickname is Little Lady Love. She finds that many things offend her delicate sensibilities, including her own sneezes. She makes the most lovely moue of distate, sighs in exasperation, and even has her very own demure cry of outrage. Since she is such a Princess and the Pea type (although very easy going, in general) she got Froggy for a friend (Frog Prince, ok? Not much sleep, ok????)
Forggy is about 4 inches long, if you want scale. This picture was taken when she was about 4-5 weeks old, but she looks just the same, just bigger - about 10 lbs now!
Rowyn's nickname is Little Lady Love. She finds that many things offend her delicate sensibilities, including her own sneezes. She makes the most lovely moue of distate, sighs in exasperation, and even has her very own demure cry of outrage. Since she is such a Princess and the Pea type (although very easy going, in general) she got Froggy for a friend (Frog Prince, ok? Not much sleep, ok????)
Forggy is about 4 inches long, if you want scale. This picture was taken when she was about 4-5 weeks old, but she looks just the same, just bigger - about 10 lbs now!
Pictures of Babies, as promised
Me, April 13, 2006. Huge, as you can see. I went in for a regular OB appointment only to find out that -wham- I had developed preeclampsia, and needed to have a C-section that very day. The girls were delivered at 11 PM that night.
The blue belt shows the contraction monitor, and pink belts show the girls's heart rates - Beck/Rowyn on the bottom, and Call/Dana on the top.
See the stretch marks? Tip of the iceberg!
The blue belt shows the contraction monitor, and pink belts show the girls's heart rates - Beck/Rowyn on the bottom, and Call/Dana on the top.
See the stretch marks? Tip of the iceberg!
Ack!
A) Please don't bump me! I'm blogging, I'm blogging! Having this void to fill urges me into the studio and keeps my brain thinking ART and not just BABIES 24/7.
B) How the heck do I post pictures again!?!?! I swear, once I figure this out again, I need to make a post giving myself directions so I can read it next time I forget. Make sense? I sure hope so...
Art update:
* got silkscreening stuff for Mother's Day, and plan to get block printing stuff too
* have tentative plans to play with above with VT Art Quilters this summer, in my studio
* above playdate ensures that the Great Studio Cleanout Project continues (so far all of my painting supplies and dyes have found baby-proof homes! Hurray!)
* I'm thinking of a colaborative dye project with my daughter Dana - paint and spit-up. What do you think? %)
B) How the heck do I post pictures again!?!?! I swear, once I figure this out again, I need to make a post giving myself directions so I can read it next time I forget. Make sense? I sure hope so...
Art update:
* got silkscreening stuff for Mother's Day, and plan to get block printing stuff too
* have tentative plans to play with above with VT Art Quilters this summer, in my studio
* above playdate ensures that the Great Studio Cleanout Project continues (so far all of my painting supplies and dyes have found baby-proof homes! Hurray!)
* I'm thinking of a colaborative dye project with my daughter Dana - paint and spit-up. What do you think? %)
5.06.2006
Announcing....
Rowyn Eliza and Dana Cordelia, born 11:04 and 11:05 PM respectively on Thursday, April 13, 2006. Rowyn spent a few days in the NICU, but both girls came home with their Dad and I on the following Tuesday, and all is well, despite the emergency C-section for rapid-onset pre-eclampsia that brought them at 37 weeks and 4 days gestation. Rowyn weighed in at 5 lbs 12 oz, and Dana at a respectable 5 lbs 3 oz. Our girls are big and strong, and getting bigger every day!
They are completely different from each other, and each infinitely wonderous to behold. I'll post pictures as soon as I get back onto my own computer and remember how to do so!
The girls have their first art project this weekend - hand and foot stamp thank you cards to send to all of their loving family and friends. I suppose that means that I'll have to scan one in, so all of you who have written and checked-in with your support over the months - you KNOW how much I appreciate you all!
In other art news, the girls are my new biggest fans - I put pieces of Mending Broken Dishes in their bassinet with them, and they stare at them for hours (white, fuschia and purple in high contrast). I think I'll have to wait a few months to hear what their comments are, but that is ok with me. :)
Meanwhile, I have had a whopping 3 showers in their 3+ weeks of life, have no appetite, and have lost well over 60 lbs between fluids and not eating, so I am exhausted, but looking great (at least from the neck down, and excepting my midsection; stretch mark city!) - back under my pre-pregnancy weight already!
Pictures soon, I promise. Even thinking about introducing my Mother in Law, Linda, to the wonders of fabric painting while she is here from Germany to help us out...
Spring has sprung, and my heart is in bloom...
They are completely different from each other, and each infinitely wonderous to behold. I'll post pictures as soon as I get back onto my own computer and remember how to do so!
The girls have their first art project this weekend - hand and foot stamp thank you cards to send to all of their loving family and friends. I suppose that means that I'll have to scan one in, so all of you who have written and checked-in with your support over the months - you KNOW how much I appreciate you all!
In other art news, the girls are my new biggest fans - I put pieces of Mending Broken Dishes in their bassinet with them, and they stare at them for hours (white, fuschia and purple in high contrast). I think I'll have to wait a few months to hear what their comments are, but that is ok with me. :)
Meanwhile, I have had a whopping 3 showers in their 3+ weeks of life, have no appetite, and have lost well over 60 lbs between fluids and not eating, so I am exhausted, but looking great (at least from the neck down, and excepting my midsection; stretch mark city!) - back under my pre-pregnancy weight already!
Pictures soon, I promise. Even thinking about introducing my Mother in Law, Linda, to the wonders of fabric painting while she is here from Germany to help us out...
Spring has sprung, and my heart is in bloom...
4.09.2006
Or.... Not.
They still aren't here yet, actually. It has just been crazy here, but the girls still haven't made their grand entrances. I WILL let you know when they do, but, meanwhile, I am 37 weeks today, bigger than a house, none too happy about it, and awaiting a scheduled C section for the 18th if I don't go into labor first.
Talk to you soon!
Talk to you soon!
3.18.2006
Long and Short
BRIEF update -
34 weeks tomorrow. Literally ANY day now.
Off Methadone (manic narcolepsy and massive itching is NOT a good thing)
On Oxycontin (not working as well on pain, but no longer psycho, so good all around)
Survived 34th Birthday yesterday, despite false alarm trip to Labor and Delivery - Kevin made sugar-free cake and frosting from SCRATCH. Chocolate, natch. Joy.
Spring starts this week, and I couldn't be happier.
Storing up on sleep since that any DAY now could just as easily be any NIGHT now.
Actually making headway on the sweaters, so maybe my girls won't be coming home nekid.
Missing you all like crazy, and thankful for your thoughts and well wishes. You rock!
34 weeks tomorrow. Literally ANY day now.
Off Methadone (manic narcolepsy and massive itching is NOT a good thing)
On Oxycontin (not working as well on pain, but no longer psycho, so good all around)
Survived 34th Birthday yesterday, despite false alarm trip to Labor and Delivery - Kevin made sugar-free cake and frosting from SCRATCH. Chocolate, natch. Joy.
Spring starts this week, and I couldn't be happier.
Storing up on sleep since that any DAY now could just as easily be any NIGHT now.
Actually making headway on the sweaters, so maybe my girls won't be coming home nekid.
Missing you all like crazy, and thankful for your thoughts and well wishes. You rock!
3.02.2006
Update
Hi folks -
I'll be 32 weeks pregnant with the girls this coming Sunday, and am now gearing up for 34 weeks, or right around the Equinox. 32 was a MAJOR milestone for me, and 34 is no different, but with my pain levels (and resultant narcotics use) doubling every few days, two more weeks sounds like an eternity.
Ah well. The girls should be about 4.5 lbs by this time next week, and every day I make it though makes their chances of being 100% A-ok that much better, so I am just taking it one day at a time, and using every trick in the book to not go crazy with it all.
That all said, I have been 1 cm dilated for a week and a half, and we never know when this show is going to get on the road all by itself. Trouble with that is that both girls are lying sideways across my uterus (stacked like cordwood!) so I CAN'T have them vaginally at this point, unless they both move A LOT.
Anyway, thanks for the ongoing support - I really appreciate you all! More news when two criteria are met: a) that I have any new news to impart, and b) when I have the brain, body and presence of mind to actually report any of it at the same time.
Enjoy! Spring is almost here!
I'll be 32 weeks pregnant with the girls this coming Sunday, and am now gearing up for 34 weeks, or right around the Equinox. 32 was a MAJOR milestone for me, and 34 is no different, but with my pain levels (and resultant narcotics use) doubling every few days, two more weeks sounds like an eternity.
Ah well. The girls should be about 4.5 lbs by this time next week, and every day I make it though makes their chances of being 100% A-ok that much better, so I am just taking it one day at a time, and using every trick in the book to not go crazy with it all.
That all said, I have been 1 cm dilated for a week and a half, and we never know when this show is going to get on the road all by itself. Trouble with that is that both girls are lying sideways across my uterus (stacked like cordwood!) so I CAN'T have them vaginally at this point, unless they both move A LOT.
Anyway, thanks for the ongoing support - I really appreciate you all! More news when two criteria are met: a) that I have any new news to impart, and b) when I have the brain, body and presence of mind to actually report any of it at the same time.
Enjoy! Spring is almost here!
1.25.2006
Knuckle Cracking
Well, it looks like I have a studio-away-from-home ahead of me this weekend - Mrs Good wants me to finish her quilt for her before she dies. All it needs is quilting and binding, and I'll do the first and my mother the latter (since it takes me FOREVER and she just doesn't have that long), and I hope to get it done in the 36 hours that I am in Boston this weekend. Apparently it is the matching quilt to one that she made for her husband, but this one is for her. I have no idea what she intends for it when she passes, but she wants it done, so it is going to get done, even if I have to do it all in 10 minute stretches 'cus the girls won't let me sit up for longer.
And I am pretty sure it is her only UFO. If I get a death warrant anytime soon, expect my dear husband to take out ads on billboards across the nation trying to get enough folks together to finish all of my drek...
Actually, I am being inspired. Mrs Good used to do a lot of sashiko sitting in front of the tv, and I'm thinking that some might be just the ticket for whiling away some bedrest - not anal, and goes fast, plus you can actually SEE it when you are done, so it makes it feel worthwhile to do in the first place... So, now I'm concocting a simple plain block pattern baby quilt just to be adorned with such easy-to-do-in-bed stitchery... I'll let you know how the processing goes.
Meanwhile, I felt the girls wiggles for the first time this last weekend, and now it feels like a constant earthquake in my belly! Comfort is officially an utopian dream, and sleep is quickly arriving at that status. I have now put on more weight (at 26+ weeks) than my mother put on her entire pregnancy with me, so from here out I can say fooey to her 'when-I-was-pregnant-with-you' stories. Hurray!
Ah well - back to bed for me - my 10 minutes are up! Enjoy!
And I am pretty sure it is her only UFO. If I get a death warrant anytime soon, expect my dear husband to take out ads on billboards across the nation trying to get enough folks together to finish all of my drek...
Actually, I am being inspired. Mrs Good used to do a lot of sashiko sitting in front of the tv, and I'm thinking that some might be just the ticket for whiling away some bedrest - not anal, and goes fast, plus you can actually SEE it when you are done, so it makes it feel worthwhile to do in the first place... So, now I'm concocting a simple plain block pattern baby quilt just to be adorned with such easy-to-do-in-bed stitchery... I'll let you know how the processing goes.
Meanwhile, I felt the girls wiggles for the first time this last weekend, and now it feels like a constant earthquake in my belly! Comfort is officially an utopian dream, and sleep is quickly arriving at that status. I have now put on more weight (at 26+ weeks) than my mother put on her entire pregnancy with me, so from here out I can say fooey to her 'when-I-was-pregnant-with-you' stories. Hurray!
Ah well - back to bed for me - my 10 minutes are up! Enjoy!
1.18.2006
Good and terrible news
The girls are doing grand, and have put on 3/4 lb each in the last 4 weeks - they are up to 1 lb 12 oz each now! We saw Call yawning, and lo and behold, the girls are in the same spots they were in just before Christmas - Beck head down and facing my right side although her body is on my left, and Call still sprawled across the top, face down with head on the left. I am actually starting to believe that the girls might actually stay in there until they can come out without too many problems - good thing too, since I hear that NICU bills for twins can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars (I shiver to think what we'd do without good insurance!)
And, hold on to your hats ladies, I actually did something CREATIVE yesterday - not just rote sewing, or slopping paint around, but planned and executed ART. I love mosaics, and am playing around with mosaic quilts. Yes, I know the cat one that won so many prizes a few years back, but I mean the WHOLE THING, not just the subject, but the background too, and I'm thinking of how to use variable backings as different 'grouts' as well. The subject of my current piece (still being worked out in construction paper) is the communication between my girls in utero. I hope to work on it more soon (although it really is tedious), and will post pics when I do.
In other crappy news, my dear mother-fiugre of 28 years, Barbara Ann Powell Good, has had a turn for the worse, and is officially dying of pancreatic cancer. Hospice starts tomorrow, and they think she has 2-3 weeks. Kevin and I weren't going to go down again until after the babies are here, but now we have two trips to take - one to say goodbye, and another for her funeral, when it comes. I would have liked to have had a peaceful last trimester, but more important now is that she has peace around the idea of and during her actual passing. If any of you are the praying/meditating/sending thoughts out to the universe types, I would have enormously more peace in MY life if I knew that you were thinking of her having more peace as she ends hers. So, if your thoughts might wend that way, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
And, hold on to your hats ladies, I actually did something CREATIVE yesterday - not just rote sewing, or slopping paint around, but planned and executed ART. I love mosaics, and am playing around with mosaic quilts. Yes, I know the cat one that won so many prizes a few years back, but I mean the WHOLE THING, not just the subject, but the background too, and I'm thinking of how to use variable backings as different 'grouts' as well. The subject of my current piece (still being worked out in construction paper) is the communication between my girls in utero. I hope to work on it more soon (although it really is tedious), and will post pics when I do.
In other crappy news, my dear mother-fiugre of 28 years, Barbara Ann Powell Good, has had a turn for the worse, and is officially dying of pancreatic cancer. Hospice starts tomorrow, and they think she has 2-3 weeks. Kevin and I weren't going to go down again until after the babies are here, but now we have two trips to take - one to say goodbye, and another for her funeral, when it comes. I would have liked to have had a peaceful last trimester, but more important now is that she has peace around the idea of and during her actual passing. If any of you are the praying/meditating/sending thoughts out to the universe types, I would have enormously more peace in MY life if I knew that you were thinking of her having more peace as she ends hers. So, if your thoughts might wend that way, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
1.16.2006
Happy Anniversary to Us
Cince no one is reading my ramblings any more now that they know that I am not dead, I will self-gratuitously sing Happy Anniversary ( a la the Animaniacs) to myself and my husband of a whopping one year, Kevin.
We spent the entire day in bed, which was lovely, but not in the way y'all think - phone calls from well-wishing friends every half hour, Kevin sick as a dog with a head cold, and the girls *seriously* tyring to get in on the party they figured we'd be having. Or not. I'm currently trying to cook up the salmnon that Kevin left marinating earlier, so tht we can actually have some semblance of an anniversary dinner before we try to poison ourselves with year old raspberry torte.
Our presents to each other were ideas yet to be executed: a framed copy of our vows to hang in our bedroom (my idea) and before and after birth formal pictures of our growing family (Kevin's plan). Ain't that sweet?
And last night, before we both felt crap, we went to B&N and got me the new 400 pieces from the Dairy Barn to drool over, and then went out to Friendly's for Sundaes. Yum.
Gotta love an anniversary that is completely screwed up and wonderful anyway. :)
We spent the entire day in bed, which was lovely, but not in the way y'all think - phone calls from well-wishing friends every half hour, Kevin sick as a dog with a head cold, and the girls *seriously* tyring to get in on the party they figured we'd be having. Or not. I'm currently trying to cook up the salmnon that Kevin left marinating earlier, so tht we can actually have some semblance of an anniversary dinner before we try to poison ourselves with year old raspberry torte.
Our presents to each other were ideas yet to be executed: a framed copy of our vows to hang in our bedroom (my idea) and before and after birth formal pictures of our growing family (Kevin's plan). Ain't that sweet?
And last night, before we both felt crap, we went to B&N and got me the new 400 pieces from the Dairy Barn to drool over, and then went out to Friendly's for Sundaes. Yum.
Gotta love an anniversary that is completely screwed up and wonderful anyway. :)
1.13.2006
Meme me!
It is just as well that no one has sent me the on the 4 Meme, since I HATE chain letters (that bad luck if you don't pass it thing bugs me incredibly), and since my brain functions and posting have both been sporadic at best. That said, I am cruising through AQ blogs today, and keep seeing this Meme, so I thought I'd jump on board too... (see? I can *pretend* that I am still cool instead of just still cooling my heels!)
Also, since I am not 'officially' in the Meme, I can make up my own questions, no? Heh heh heh...
4 jobs that I have had THAT I GOT PAID MONEY FOR:
- physical therapy office receptionist
- HS biology teacher
- calligrapher
- print advertising sales
4 jobs that I have had that PAID IN SELF-SATISFACTION:
- teaching sign language to developmentally disabled adults for a performance piece
- running a Pagan community here in Vermont (and no, I'm not a witch)
- peer counselor to others with disablity issues
- sitting on my butt gestating babies - my current and far away most important job
4 movies I could watch over and over again:
- A Philadepthia Story or anything else with Katherine Hepburn in it
- Some Kind of Wonderful - the ultimate tomboy's chick-flick
- Dangerous Beauty - sex, brainy banter, and cool costumes. How can you do better?
- The Princess Bride - wait, I HAVE watched that one over and over again... :)
4 places that I have lived:
- Boston, MA (where I grew up)
- Providence, RI (where I went to RISD)
- Burlington, VT (where I went to Trinity and UVM and have lived since)
- Wiltshire, England (where I have spent years if you add up all my visits)
4 TV shows I watch regularly:
- Surface, Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis - since my husband has them on anyway
- Firefly - since WAY before it became trendy. I'm buying the series on DVD.
- CSI (original of course) - in reruns since I can't stay up that late anymore
- pretty much anything on the Discovery Health or History channels
4 places I have been on vacation:
- Isle of Skye, Scotland (where I stayed on a croft and talked to cows)
- rainy but still gay Paris (museum hopping when I was 14 and actually spoke French)
- both Norway and Iceland (textiles AND Vikings AND natural gorgeousness - WOW!)
- Temegami, Ontario (with Earthwatch, working on old growth red and white pines forests)
4 websites I visit everyday:
- Fibermania (sort of daily worship, really)
- Sonji Says (because she is just the coolest chick *ever*)
- PaMdora's Box (because her life and her art are both facinating and fun)
- Twin Shock (because I need to get ready and attitude is everything)
4 favorite foods BEFORE PREGNANCY:
- pancakes with real VT maple syrup
- anything uber-chocolaty with no nuts, since I am allergic and don't want to die
- stuffed shells with meat sauce and tons of cheese
- Taco Bell quesadillas (please don't hurt me, Mrs Mel!)
4 favorite food SINCE I GOT PREGNANT WITH TWINS:
- steak - must rip flesh with my teeth daily
- eggnog - just enough fat to help me reach my weight gain goals
- Cabot's uber-sharp Hunter's Cheddar cheese
- granola bars sans nuts
Favorite beverage before, during and after *anything*
- skim milk, by the gallon!
4 places I'd rather BE:
- a way tidier and better repaired and prepared house
- somewhere all on one floor with no steps to climb
- a bigger bed (Quess isn't big enough for 4 people and two cats!)
- closer to Mrs Good so I could visit her more :(
4 things I'd rather be DOING (but my body, pregnancy or circumstances won't let me):
- anything for the Peacecorps or the CDC
- anything related to my art
- anything that comes without paperwork
- sailing the SW coast of England with my husband on a lovely summer day
4 albums I can't live without: (not that I play them often, but need them when I need them)
- my natural sounds CDs - best way to relax
- Eastern Odyssey (2 CD set) - great music to create and work to
- Tori Amos "Little Earthquakes" for when I need to shout the lyrics in a bitter mood
- They Might Be Giants "Flood" for when I have to drive all night, or just need to let off steam
4 people who don't deserve to live and die the way they are going to:
- my aunt Betty with Huntington's Chorea
- Mrs Good with pancreatic cancer
- my cousin Bill with ALS/Lou Gherig's
- anyone who dies for lack of food in a world full of MacDonald's
(cheerier) 4 names we are considering for our girls:
- Cordelia - my middle name and a must-have family name (I'm the 9th one!)
- Lyn, Lynn, Llyn or some version thereof, for my mother CaroLYN and his mom LINda
- Rebecca - for our little Beck, even though it means "noose"
- Joyce - family name on my husband's side, and way better than all the Welsh ones!
4 things I want for my girls in their lifetimes:
- good, honest, lifelong friends
- the guts to try things and the brains to try the *right* things
- healthy inner children who they play with often
- peace and passion, in equal measure
Also, since I am not 'officially' in the Meme, I can make up my own questions, no? Heh heh heh...
4 jobs that I have had THAT I GOT PAID MONEY FOR:
- physical therapy office receptionist
- HS biology teacher
- calligrapher
- print advertising sales
4 jobs that I have had that PAID IN SELF-SATISFACTION:
- teaching sign language to developmentally disabled adults for a performance piece
- running a Pagan community here in Vermont (and no, I'm not a witch)
- peer counselor to others with disablity issues
- sitting on my butt gestating babies - my current and far away most important job
4 movies I could watch over and over again:
- A Philadepthia Story or anything else with Katherine Hepburn in it
- Some Kind of Wonderful - the ultimate tomboy's chick-flick
- Dangerous Beauty - sex, brainy banter, and cool costumes. How can you do better?
- The Princess Bride - wait, I HAVE watched that one over and over again... :)
4 places that I have lived:
- Boston, MA (where I grew up)
- Providence, RI (where I went to RISD)
- Burlington, VT (where I went to Trinity and UVM and have lived since)
- Wiltshire, England (where I have spent years if you add up all my visits)
4 TV shows I watch regularly:
- Surface, Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis - since my husband has them on anyway
- Firefly - since WAY before it became trendy. I'm buying the series on DVD.
- CSI (original of course) - in reruns since I can't stay up that late anymore
- pretty much anything on the Discovery Health or History channels
4 places I have been on vacation:
- Isle of Skye, Scotland (where I stayed on a croft and talked to cows)
- rainy but still gay Paris (museum hopping when I was 14 and actually spoke French)
- both Norway and Iceland (textiles AND Vikings AND natural gorgeousness - WOW!)
- Temegami, Ontario (with Earthwatch, working on old growth red and white pines forests)
4 websites I visit everyday:
- Fibermania (sort of daily worship, really)
- Sonji Says (because she is just the coolest chick *ever*)
- PaMdora's Box (because her life and her art are both facinating and fun)
- Twin Shock (because I need to get ready and attitude is everything)
4 favorite foods BEFORE PREGNANCY:
- pancakes with real VT maple syrup
- anything uber-chocolaty with no nuts, since I am allergic and don't want to die
- stuffed shells with meat sauce and tons of cheese
- Taco Bell quesadillas (please don't hurt me, Mrs Mel!)
4 favorite food SINCE I GOT PREGNANT WITH TWINS:
- steak - must rip flesh with my teeth daily
- eggnog - just enough fat to help me reach my weight gain goals
- Cabot's uber-sharp Hunter's Cheddar cheese
- granola bars sans nuts
Favorite beverage before, during and after *anything*
- skim milk, by the gallon!
4 places I'd rather BE:
- a way tidier and better repaired and prepared house
- somewhere all on one floor with no steps to climb
- a bigger bed (Quess isn't big enough for 4 people and two cats!)
- closer to Mrs Good so I could visit her more :(
4 things I'd rather be DOING (but my body, pregnancy or circumstances won't let me):
- anything for the Peacecorps or the CDC
- anything related to my art
- anything that comes without paperwork
- sailing the SW coast of England with my husband on a lovely summer day
4 albums I can't live without: (not that I play them often, but need them when I need them)
- my natural sounds CDs - best way to relax
- Eastern Odyssey (2 CD set) - great music to create and work to
- Tori Amos "Little Earthquakes" for when I need to shout the lyrics in a bitter mood
- They Might Be Giants "Flood" for when I have to drive all night, or just need to let off steam
4 people who don't deserve to live and die the way they are going to:
- my aunt Betty with Huntington's Chorea
- Mrs Good with pancreatic cancer
- my cousin Bill with ALS/Lou Gherig's
- anyone who dies for lack of food in a world full of MacDonald's
(cheerier) 4 names we are considering for our girls:
- Cordelia - my middle name and a must-have family name (I'm the 9th one!)
- Lyn, Lynn, Llyn or some version thereof, for my mother CaroLYN and his mom LINda
- Rebecca - for our little Beck, even though it means "noose"
- Joyce - family name on my husband's side, and way better than all the Welsh ones!
4 things I want for my girls in their lifetimes:
- good, honest, lifelong friends
- the guts to try things and the brains to try the *right* things
- healthy inner children who they play with often
- peace and passion, in equal measure
Frownie Face
This has been a long week, but ART HAS HAPPENED!
First, the good stuff
- the babies are great and officially viable! Hurray!
- I just did another 4 blocks in the studio and even tidied a smidgen
- I slept well, and even had pregnancy-induced kinky dreams }:)
- Kevin brought me a honey-dipped donut for breakfast again - Hap Cakes around here
- I got up meaning to paint those onesies all sorts of tealy/limey blue/yellow/greens
- it is sunny out, and everyone that I love knows it.
Then, the not so good stuff
- HARD contractions twice an hour ad nauseum
- I couldn't find the onesies to paint them (might still be in the car)
- I am out of steak to rip with my teeth
- my health insurance case worker is on my butt to apply for kid insurance
- my Dad perceives such state-supported insurance as 'not-for-HIS-grandchildren'
- I am stuck in that anxious/bored-out-of-my-mind part of my pregnancy
- we still have the to-do list from HECK before the girls come
- my case worker said they could come anytime now! Yikes!
- I keep finding myself doing the frownie face thing for no apparent reason
And, monstrously worse than anything, my dear, dear friend/other Mom, Barbara Good, just got the news that her chemo has stopped working, and that her pancreatic tumor on her liver has grown too much to do anything with. Everyone is now talking 'quality of life issues' and Kevin and I are madly trying to work out when we can go to Boston to see her again. She came to my shower, but a)she was exhausted and b)I thought I'd see her the next day when I visited, but when I got there I spoke only with her husband as she had gone to bed. I am NOT satisfied with the last time I see her being a peck on the cheek on her way out the door.
So, her cancer and my babies permitting, Kevin and I are going to go down about 4 weeks from now, when we can also pick up my Mom for her whirlwind make-the-house-ready-for-babies trip. If either my pregnancy or her prognosis looks bad though, we'll go earlier, and convenient pick-up for Mom be damned.
I think this is all hitting me WAY harder than normal because a) I'm a hormonal pregnant lady, for pete's sake, and b) because I am very much in a 'link the generations' mode, what with having babies and all. This frownie face thing is bugging me too - brand new last week, ever present, and NOT the face I want my baby girls to get familiar with!!!!!
One day in front of the next, and smile every chance I get. Kevin is going to clean out the garage this weekend (yes, in January, in Vermont. Don't ask.), while I fold mountains of laundry. Frighteningly, the garage is a huge job, and I think that Mt. Laundry is its equal.
Plus, we get to drop by one of our SCA (medieval reenactment) thingies, and show off my big belly to all sorts of folks who don't even know that we are expecting yet. That part should be fun, especially since it is only about a mile away, so I can come home and fold myself into bed if I get too tired.
Funny the things that please me now - 4 little patches for a trad quilt, a bed to fall into, and rubbing the furrow off my forehead. Simple minds, simple pleasures...
Now if only SONJI would start posting again!!!!! ;)
First, the good stuff
- the babies are great and officially viable! Hurray!
- I just did another 4 blocks in the studio and even tidied a smidgen
- I slept well, and even had pregnancy-induced kinky dreams }:)
- Kevin brought me a honey-dipped donut for breakfast again - Hap Cakes around here
- I got up meaning to paint those onesies all sorts of tealy/limey blue/yellow/greens
- it is sunny out, and everyone that I love knows it.
Then, the not so good stuff
- HARD contractions twice an hour ad nauseum
- I couldn't find the onesies to paint them (might still be in the car)
- I am out of steak to rip with my teeth
- my health insurance case worker is on my butt to apply for kid insurance
- my Dad perceives such state-supported insurance as 'not-for-HIS-grandchildren'
- I am stuck in that anxious/bored-out-of-my-mind part of my pregnancy
- we still have the to-do list from HECK before the girls come
- my case worker said they could come anytime now! Yikes!
- I keep finding myself doing the frownie face thing for no apparent reason
And, monstrously worse than anything, my dear, dear friend/other Mom, Barbara Good, just got the news that her chemo has stopped working, and that her pancreatic tumor on her liver has grown too much to do anything with. Everyone is now talking 'quality of life issues' and Kevin and I are madly trying to work out when we can go to Boston to see her again. She came to my shower, but a)she was exhausted and b)I thought I'd see her the next day when I visited, but when I got there I spoke only with her husband as she had gone to bed. I am NOT satisfied with the last time I see her being a peck on the cheek on her way out the door.
So, her cancer and my babies permitting, Kevin and I are going to go down about 4 weeks from now, when we can also pick up my Mom for her whirlwind make-the-house-ready-for-babies trip. If either my pregnancy or her prognosis looks bad though, we'll go earlier, and convenient pick-up for Mom be damned.
I think this is all hitting me WAY harder than normal because a) I'm a hormonal pregnant lady, for pete's sake, and b) because I am very much in a 'link the generations' mode, what with having babies and all. This frownie face thing is bugging me too - brand new last week, ever present, and NOT the face I want my baby girls to get familiar with!!!!!
One day in front of the next, and smile every chance I get. Kevin is going to clean out the garage this weekend (yes, in January, in Vermont. Don't ask.), while I fold mountains of laundry. Frighteningly, the garage is a huge job, and I think that Mt. Laundry is its equal.
Plus, we get to drop by one of our SCA (medieval reenactment) thingies, and show off my big belly to all sorts of folks who don't even know that we are expecting yet. That part should be fun, especially since it is only about a mile away, so I can come home and fold myself into bed if I get too tired.
Funny the things that please me now - 4 little patches for a trad quilt, a bed to fall into, and rubbing the furrow off my forehead. Simple minds, simple pleasures...
Now if only SONJI would start posting again!!!!! ;)
1.11.2006
Wednesday already...
And I still haven't reported in on my baby shower in Boston last weekend (kind of wore me out) - it was lovely! I was a little nervous at first at seeing such a varied group of my mostly my Mother's friends, but once everyone arrived, I did a little introduction about each person, and that seemed to get folks laughing and comfy (who doesn't like hearing nice things about themselves, eh?) and, most importantly, chatty.
I didn't get to eat a bite until the very end, when I was chatting with my old friend Jen (Hi Jen!) and introducing her to my husband. We spent about 9 million hours together as kids, but I hadn't seen her in at least 15 years. I have suggested that she look at this webring and into blogging as an idea for getting connected and advertised herself - she was an AMAZING artist when we were kids, and I certainly can't imagine that she hasn't surpassed herself a dozen times over since then. She is working mostly in pencil drawing and logo design right now, and when she DOES get a blog, I'm sure she'll let us all know so we can go visit and give her a warm blogging welcome, RIGHT JEN???!!!! >:)
Anyway, the loot was Pirate worthy. I have never seen so many tiny matching outfits! Pink was in evidence, but not overwhelmingly so, thank goodness! A few outfits were saccharin enough to give me a toothache, but I'm sure that I'll have days when they seem perfect on my little angels. (Please make me stop before I make myself sick though, ok? That 'little angels' thing? WAY over the top for me...) So, the upshot is that we are going to have the best dressed babies in Burlington, if not the whole state. Add in the bibs, blankets, and boppies, and, pas d'accord the pack and play, and our girls are well on their way to being set for life.
Jen, artiste that she is, even gave us 10 pristine white onesies, size 6-9 months. Hm. Like ANYTHING is going to stay white during my summer fabric painting spree, which, gee shucks, hopefully falls right around the time my girls might be needing said size onesies. Art AND babies, all in one shot. Joy, Joy, Joy! Tie-dyed, watercolored, appliqued babies, here I come!!! Might not be what you expected Jen, but it was the first thing to cross my mind when I openned them, other than 'practical present - hurray!!' - thanks twice over! And yes, ladies, I promise to show you my Done Over Onesies when we get to summer, ok?
In the meantime (the sun being WAY too low to dry fabric before it bleeds all over hell if I tried to paint now) I've redesigned the quilts for my friend's twins, and have even picked out some fabric to start one for - gasp - my OWN girls. I also got a magnetic quilt set over the weekend from my mom - 1000 colored triagular tiles to play with on a magnetic surface - just the thing for a fatigued brain on bedrest! I'll try and take a picture of it in the next few days to show you all. Other than that though, I am just laying low, and watching my belly grow a little more with every passing day. They could technically be here anytime now, but we hope to keep them in until March, so I'm watching days on the calendar, and am enjoying every bit of sleep and down time that I get. More news as I have it, ladies - enjoy!
I didn't get to eat a bite until the very end, when I was chatting with my old friend Jen (Hi Jen!) and introducing her to my husband. We spent about 9 million hours together as kids, but I hadn't seen her in at least 15 years. I have suggested that she look at this webring and into blogging as an idea for getting connected and advertised herself - she was an AMAZING artist when we were kids, and I certainly can't imagine that she hasn't surpassed herself a dozen times over since then. She is working mostly in pencil drawing and logo design right now, and when she DOES get a blog, I'm sure she'll let us all know so we can go visit and give her a warm blogging welcome, RIGHT JEN???!!!! >:)
Anyway, the loot was Pirate worthy. I have never seen so many tiny matching outfits! Pink was in evidence, but not overwhelmingly so, thank goodness! A few outfits were saccharin enough to give me a toothache, but I'm sure that I'll have days when they seem perfect on my little angels. (Please make me stop before I make myself sick though, ok? That 'little angels' thing? WAY over the top for me...) So, the upshot is that we are going to have the best dressed babies in Burlington, if not the whole state. Add in the bibs, blankets, and boppies, and, pas d'accord the pack and play, and our girls are well on their way to being set for life.
Jen, artiste that she is, even gave us 10 pristine white onesies, size 6-9 months. Hm. Like ANYTHING is going to stay white during my summer fabric painting spree, which, gee shucks, hopefully falls right around the time my girls might be needing said size onesies. Art AND babies, all in one shot. Joy, Joy, Joy! Tie-dyed, watercolored, appliqued babies, here I come!!! Might not be what you expected Jen, but it was the first thing to cross my mind when I openned them, other than 'practical present - hurray!!' - thanks twice over! And yes, ladies, I promise to show you my Done Over Onesies when we get to summer, ok?
In the meantime (the sun being WAY too low to dry fabric before it bleeds all over hell if I tried to paint now) I've redesigned the quilts for my friend's twins, and have even picked out some fabric to start one for - gasp - my OWN girls. I also got a magnetic quilt set over the weekend from my mom - 1000 colored triagular tiles to play with on a magnetic surface - just the thing for a fatigued brain on bedrest! I'll try and take a picture of it in the next few days to show you all. Other than that though, I am just laying low, and watching my belly grow a little more with every passing day. They could technically be here anytime now, but we hope to keep them in until March, so I'm watching days on the calendar, and am enjoying every bit of sleep and down time that I get. More news as I have it, ladies - enjoy!
1.06.2006
Blog Heaven
I just went and read a couple of QA Digests, and, I gotta say it, I don't really feel like I have missed all that much in the months I have been away from it - I get what I need (and then some!) from these great blogs!
Obviously the list has its purposes, like supply info and shows and such, but for the day to day 'make-me-want-to-get-into-the-studio' I have YOU FOLKS! Hurray for the QA webring!!!! I'll be seriously evil and even say that I sometimes just scroll down a blog looking for pictures of cool art to bathe my brain in - VERY therapeutic!
Anyway, I'm off to Boston for the shower my Mum is throwing the girls and I - I'll undoubtedly be openning lots of PINK (gack!) but most babies *do* look good in it, so I'll be sinerely grateful anyway. Also? Cream puffs!!!!! Wahoo!
Obviously the list has its purposes, like supply info and shows and such, but for the day to day 'make-me-want-to-get-into-the-studio' I have YOU FOLKS! Hurray for the QA webring!!!! I'll be seriously evil and even say that I sometimes just scroll down a blog looking for pictures of cool art to bathe my brain in - VERY therapeutic!
Anyway, I'm off to Boston for the shower my Mum is throwing the girls and I - I'll undoubtedly be openning lots of PINK (gack!) but most babies *do* look good in it, so I'll be sinerely grateful anyway. Also? Cream puffs!!!!! Wahoo!
1.03.2006
Baby Steps
I actually went into the studio again this AM, and actually DID SOME WORK - real work, not just tidying (although I did some of that too!) - I ripped nasty old seams from the LAST time I tried to sew with baby brain (Oct? Nov?) and then got 4 squares done for one of the quilts for my friend's twins. Not like I have ANY time to make something for MY girls, mind you, since I still owe those 16 MONTH olds theirs, and only one of them is even 1/3 of the way to completion!
Ah well - I figure that working in small snatches of time is going to have to be the new modus operandi around here, so I'm thinking that I'll get in shape for it by taking 30 minutes a day and doing 4 blocks on this quilt. I *was* going to set the blocks right next to each other, but, well, the quilts won't be very big if I do that, AND (much more importantly, honestly,) I'd have to match all those points, SO - nice wide sashing strips have been added to the design, provided that my backing fabrics are big enough to accomodate the change. MUCH easier on my time and my sanity, and it might actually get this one DONE so I can start the OTHER one!
Meanwhile, I need to start listening to NPR again, if for no other reason than I need to knit and spin! I have six pieces of baby sweater to make before my girls are due to come home, and my MIL needs me to spin more boring black wool for the joint project sweater that she is knitting for my husband, Kevin. I need to order that from Halcyon, and try to make sure that I don't have TOO much left over as a) it's pricey, and b) it was BORING to spin - no flair, no panache, and I didn't even like the way it went through my fingers! Yeck! I also have to finish spinning up the tricolor mohair for my MIL (stupid plant matter in it requires way more time to pick out than actually spinning the stuff takes), and same MIL just sent a whole pound of yummy grassy/tealy/bluey-greens wool for me to spin as well - great colors, but not ones that I would wear... but we'll see - you never know until you see the yarn and swatch it up! (Hm... seed stitch does wonders...)
So, yeah - life is busy, but good. We are going to try and have everything ready to bo by March 5, my 32 week mark, and boy oh boy (or should I say girl oh girl?) do we have our work cut out for us! Wish me luck!
Ah well - I figure that working in small snatches of time is going to have to be the new modus operandi around here, so I'm thinking that I'll get in shape for it by taking 30 minutes a day and doing 4 blocks on this quilt. I *was* going to set the blocks right next to each other, but, well, the quilts won't be very big if I do that, AND (much more importantly, honestly,) I'd have to match all those points, SO - nice wide sashing strips have been added to the design, provided that my backing fabrics are big enough to accomodate the change. MUCH easier on my time and my sanity, and it might actually get this one DONE so I can start the OTHER one!
Meanwhile, I need to start listening to NPR again, if for no other reason than I need to knit and spin! I have six pieces of baby sweater to make before my girls are due to come home, and my MIL needs me to spin more boring black wool for the joint project sweater that she is knitting for my husband, Kevin. I need to order that from Halcyon, and try to make sure that I don't have TOO much left over as a) it's pricey, and b) it was BORING to spin - no flair, no panache, and I didn't even like the way it went through my fingers! Yeck! I also have to finish spinning up the tricolor mohair for my MIL (stupid plant matter in it requires way more time to pick out than actually spinning the stuff takes), and same MIL just sent a whole pound of yummy grassy/tealy/bluey-greens wool for me to spin as well - great colors, but not ones that I would wear... but we'll see - you never know until you see the yarn and swatch it up! (Hm... seed stitch does wonders...)
So, yeah - life is busy, but good. We are going to try and have everything ready to bo by March 5, my 32 week mark, and boy oh boy (or should I say girl oh girl?) do we have our work cut out for us! Wish me luck!
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